It’s wild how quickly your idea of “big enough” changes once you’re on the hunt for an apartment. Let’s just say market listings can be, well, creative with their wording. “Cozy,” “compact,” and “efficient” are all code for: prepare to share your shower with the mop. So, is 750 square feet small for an apartment? Or is it actually plenty of room to live a proper life (maybe even with a furry sidekick)? The answer isn’t as obvious as you might think, especially when you factor in layout, location, and what you plan to fit besides yourself. Spoiler alert: Australian apartments are trending smaller, and cities like Adelaide are right in the mix.
What Does 750 Sq Ft Actually Look Like?
Before we judge, let's get our heads around what 750 square feet really means. In metros like Adelaide, Sydney, or Melbourne, most new one-bedroom flats fall between 450 and 800 square feet. So, 750 sits at the upper end for singles, just right for couples, and a push for families. Picture it visually: if you drew a rectangle roughly 23 feet by 33 feet (or about 7 by 10 meters), that's your shell. Now, chop space out for walls, closets, halls, and the odd badly-placed pillar, and what’s left is where the magic—or mayhem—happens. In fact, according to recent real estate data released by Domain Group in 2025, the average one-bedroom apartment in central Adelaide clocks in at 574 sq ft (about 53 m²), so 750 exceeds the local standard by around 30%.
Still not convinced? Let’s play with furniture. Think one queen bed, a three-seater sofa (Rufus prefers reclining on mine when he manages to steal it), a dining table for four, a basic home office nook, and a standard Aussie-sized fridge. With a smart layout, you can actually fit all of that. Some room for bookshelves, a TV, and dog bed, sure—but this space is not palatial. Storage becomes your best friend, and multi-use furniture is basically sacred. I once helped a mate wedge a home gym in an apartment of this size. Spoiler: hospital visits are expensive.
Here’s a quick sample comparison to add some numbers to the picture:
City | Average 1BR Size (sq ft) | Average Rent/week (AUD) |
---|---|---|
Adelaide CBD | 574 | $435 |
Sydney CBD | 495 | $640 |
Melbourne CBD | 530 | $560 |
Perth CBD | 620 | $470 |
So, 750 square feet isn’t ‘shoebox living’—it’s comfortably above average in almost any big Aussie city. Not quite a ballroom, but for most urban renters, it hits the sweet spot where you can host a few friends without stepping on toes. But here’s the catch: layout trumps pure square footage every time. An apartment with a chopped-up floorplan and windowless, airless rooms? Way less pleasant than one with an open kitchen-dining-living space that lets light flood the room (and keeps you sane during lockdowns or work-from-home days). Don’t just look at the number—look at the flow. That’s the key if you actually want to enjoy living there.

Why Size Feels Different for Everyone
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, because “too small” depends so much on how you use the space. Solo renters will find 750 sq ft almost generous, provided their hobbies don’t require a pottery wheel or home rock-climbing wall. Got a partner? Suddenly, the spare corner you used for yoga is now storage for shoes, books, or kayak paddles. Introduce a dog (say, a medium-sized legend called Rufus), and you’ll want easy-to-clean flooring, somewhere for muddy paws, and a patch of sunlight for afternoon naps.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released survey data in May 2025 showing single-occupant households in city apartments are at an all-time high—around 42% in Adelaide alone. Folks are embracing smaller spaces because location often wins. When you can swap a commute for walkable coffee shops or knock-off drinks with mates, downsizing suddenly feels less like sacrifice and more like trading up. Also, let’s be honest: less space means less cleaning, fewer knickknacks, and excuses to get outside, even if it’s just to walk the dog.
But for couples, especially those working from home or thinking about kids, 750 square feet can start to pinch. The dining table becomes a home office; the living room, a gym; the spare nook, an aspirational reading corner that doubles as a drying rack for wet laundry. Creative solutions get tested here. Double-duty furniture, vertical storage, and ruthless decluttering make or break your comfort level. It’s not about perfection, it’s about fitting your real life (and all its weird habits) in a space that feels livable, not cramped.
And there’s the social factor: entertaining friends in a smaller apartment can go from “cozy dinner party” to “everyone’s got a lapful of chips and a knee in their ribs.” But I’ve been to some of the best Friday night hangs in apartments about this size—string up some fairy lights, kick shoes off at the door, and suddenly, cosy isn’t a bad thing.
- If you value privacy and ‘zones’ (say, a work area away from the TV), 750 sq ft can work with clever dividing screens.
- Hobbyists who collect or craft might feel squeezed, unless they rotate gear in and out seasonally or rent a locker nearby.
- Dog owners: look for balcony access or nearby green space. Rufus vetoes apartments where he can’t sunbathe, and fair call.
Bottom line? How you live and what you love doing will decide if 750 feels right, too tight, or just right.

Smart Tips for Living Large in a 750 Sq Ft Apartment
Want to turn 750 sq ft into a slice of luxury? I’ve picked up a few tricks—some learned the hard way (cue the great wardrobe collapse of 2023). The first rule: vertical thinking. Use every inch from floor to ceiling. Tall bookcases, wall-mounted hooks, and floating shelves add storage without eating up precious floor space. Next, pick furniture with hidden perks—beds with drawers, ottomans that hide blankets, or a coffee table that turns into a desk. Multi-tasking doesn’t just apply to your job; your furniture should pull double duty too.
Lighting is a game-changer. Natural light will make even a shoebox look bigger, so keep window spaces clear and use light, reflective curtains. I swapped out a set of dark velvet drapes for white linen curtains last winter, and the entire space suddenly felt twice as big (and less like a bat cave). Go for mirrors if your apartment’s short on windows—they bounce light and add depth, tricking your brain into thinking you’ve got more room. Oh, and plants—don’t underestimate them. Even small greenery on shelves helps soften sharp corners and brings life to compact spaces.
Zoning matters too. Use rugs or clever furniture placement to mark out different ‘zones’ for eating, relaxing, and working. That stops things from feeling like one giant, confused multipurpose room. When I started working from home, I parked my makeshift desk by a window and used a simple shelf to break up the area. It felt like an office, even when Rufus would crash Zoom calls with a squeaky toy in the background.
Take this checklist to squeeze every ounce from your 750 square feet:
- Store off-season stuff under the bed or at the top of built-in wardrobes.
- Opt for stackable chairs or nesting tables—easy to pack away after guests leave.
- Use stick-on wall hooks for things like towels, dog leads, headphones—frees up drawer space instantly.
- Declutter at least twice a year. If you haven’t used it since last footy season, it’s time to move it along.
- Use baskets and storage cubes in awkward corners and high shelves for things you need but don’t grab daily.
If you’re a data fan like I am, here’s a breakdown of what usually fits (comfortably) in a 750 sq ft place versus what starts to feel like pushing it:
Furniture/Feature | 750 sq ft (Practical) | 750 sq ft (Too Much) |
---|---|---|
Queen bed | Yes | King + bed bench |
Couch & armchair | Yes | 2 full couches |
Full-sized dining table | If extendable | 6+ seater fixed table |
Home office setup | Desk in living/dining | Separate office room |
Pet (medium dog) | Yes (750 sq ft apartment works fine) | Multiple large dogs |
Home gym | Small gym corner | Multiple machines |
In short, with a combo of clever storage, intentional shopping, and some trial and error, 750 sq ft stops feeling ‘small’ and starts feeling just right. And for most city dwellers, it’s a practical compromise between affordability, lifestyle, and location. You might not waltz through your apartment, but you also won’t be hunting for light switches with a torch or prepping dinner in your hallway. If I can live here comfortably with a dog who insists on chasing sunbeams, odds are good you can too.